Thursday, November 1, 2012Roundtable: Can season be a success?
By SoonerNation staff

Every Thursday during the season, the SoonerNation staff will answer a roundtable question about OU football. Leave a comment or talk about it in our "There's Only One" forum.

Today's question: With two losses already, how can the Sooners make this a successful season?

• Depends on your definition of a successful season. In August, I think most people would say, including the players, that a season that didn't include a Big 12 championship and run at the national championship would not be successful. But the Sooners can still have a good season. A 10-2 record and a BCS bowl trip to, say, the Rose Bowl, would be a nice, solid season.
-- Jake Trotter

ESPN's SoonerNation

Join the discussion about all things OU football and recruiting exclusively for SoonerNation fans
in our There's Only One forum.

• The Sooners can maximize the success of this season by simply setting the foundation for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. That means giving youngsters like receiver Durron Neal, cornerback Gary Simon, linebacker Eric Striker and defensive ends Charles Tapper and Mike Onuoha more time on the field with the game still in doubt. Giving those players 5-10 plays, starting as early as the late first quarter, will help them get comfortable playing when the game is still in doubt and allow them to have a better feel for the level of play expected at OU. If the Sooners do that, it could pay big dividends in the future.
-- Brandon Chatmon

• A common answer is letting Blake Bell start to do more with the offense, but I'm not seeing it and don't believe it. Landry Jones has earned the right to play out his senior season, and he performed very well in October. But to be successful going forward, the Sooners have to show more faith and dedication to the run game. Set the tone for 2013 in November by showing you can win the battle in the trenches and aren't just a speed and finesse club. As San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "I want some nasty." OU needs some nasty to close out 2012.
-- Bob Przybylo